


I want you around

by hazypulp



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: College AU, F/F, chuulip fluff just because, chuuves if you squint but there's a twist, jolly jiwoo, studious jungeun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:08:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25797169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazypulp/pseuds/hazypulp
Summary: Jungeun hates coffee, but she goes to a coffee shop and drinks some just so she can see Jiwoo, who works there.
Relationships: Kim Jiwoo | Chuu/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip
Comments: 6
Kudos: 91





	I want you around

**Author's Note:**

> chuulip is living on my mind 24/7 rent free.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this.

The past few days have been hell for Jungeun.

It’s exams week right now, so her stress and anxiety are creeping up. She isn’t the type of person who crams the lessons in one sitting, in fact, it is the opposite. She is studious and diligent, so she makes sure she studies the lessons at least four times before taking the exam.

What is making her anxious is the possibility of her failing her classes. _God forbid_. Jungeun is a grade conscious and a perfectionist, fine, she admits that. Plus, an overthinker too. But she lived her whole primary and secondary school life being an honor student, so you can’t really blame her for keeping her overachiever title. 

—

Jungeun finally closes her book after she finishes reading the last chapter of the lesson for tomorrow’s exam. Studying clinical conditions is really making her think she has some of them— close enough to self-diagnose all her symptoms into proper diseases.

Jungeun lifts her arms up and stretches them until she hears her joints cracking. She hopes it wasn’t too loud _._ After five hours straight of burying her head in her book, she finally lets her body and mind relax. She looks around the library and notices that there are less people now than earlier. She checks her watch and sees that it is already six-thirty in the evening. She has been here for quite a long time.

She cleans her table and organizes all her things, then pulls out her phone from her bag to see if anyone tried to annoy her while she was busy learning about the human body and its complexities. And there it is.

3 missed calls and 7 messages from Annoying Haseul.

_“Junguen”_

_“Heyyy”_

_“Junguuueeennnn”_

_“Nerd”_

_“I guess you’re studying right now”_

_“Why are you so studious damn take a breather sometimes”_

_“Anyway call me when you’re done”_

She is really living up to her contact name.

Junguen picks her bag up and silently makes her way towards the exit door of the library. She can finally go home and take her most awaited nap. When she is finally out of the library, she dials Haseul’s number and starts walking back to her dorm. Haseul picks up on the third ring.

“Is Miss genius finally done feeding her brain cells with knowledge?”

“Yes and they are full, thank you for asking”

“Gosh you’re such a nerd”

“I’m gonna hang up now”

“DONT YOU DARE”

“Try me”

“You’re annoying”

“Tell that to yourself” Jungeun continues walking while bickering with Haseul, it is how they normally converse. 

“Ugh, anyway I called because I have a favor to ask”

“And what makes you think I’m going to grant your favor?”

“Because I am your best friend and you love me. Simple as one, two, three”

“I’m rolling my eyes so hard right now”

“I hope they get stuck” _Maybe pranking Haseul with fake cockroaches later would be nice._ “but if you can still see the road clearly then can you please go to the new coffee shop near the library, the name is Sweet Life, and buy me their sandwich and cheesecake, pleaseee. It’s really good! I tried it yesterday”

Junguen wishes she could smack someone through the phone right now. She is drained and just wants to hug her bed.

“You could have gone there and bought them yourself instead of waiting for me to finish”

“You see, I was planning to do that. But I got tired and I remembered that you’re still in the library and you will pass by there on your way home. So, I am saved”

Jungeun is tired, yes, but she is also hungry, and thinking about a delicious sandwich is making her stomach growl. So she is going to let Haseul win this time.

“Okay fine”

“That’s true love right there.”

“Yikes”

“Thanks boo! Be safe!”

Jungeun ends the call and puts her phone in her pocket. She is just glad that this errand involves food because she is really starving right now. She realizes that she has not drank or eaten anything after brunch. She is studying on how to keep the body healthy but she can’t even do that to her own body. How ironic.

She crosses the street and continues to walk toward the coffee shop. She hasn’t been there before since it just opened a few days ago and she is too busy to visit. She spent most of her days in the university or in the library.

Jungeun doesn’t like coffee, she hates it. It tastes so bitter and makes her palpitate so much; plus, caffeine increases the risk of diseases. But what she loves about coffee shops are the ambience and food, and there are also other beverages she can get, so it makes up for her dislike for coffee.

A bright and cute looking shop that has “Sweet Life” sign above the glass door catches Junguen’s attention. She pushes the door and goes inside, and the coffee aroma fills her nose. She notices that the shop is kind of packed with customers. _Wow, the business is thriving._ She sees office workers chatting with each other and there are also college students who are studying and scrolling through their phones. Well, good thing she’s going to have her order to-go.

The line on the counter is not really that long, which Jungeun is thankful for because she does not have much energy to wait. The guy in front of her is now paying for his order, so she takes the time to look at the menu booklet. When she notices that it’s her turn, she moves forward while still reading the menu. _Should I get a chicken sandwich or a ham sandwich?_ Junguen is still having her dilemma when she hears someone talk.

“Good evening! Welcome to Sweet Life, what can I get you?”

The voice sounds jolly. Too jolly.

When Junguen looks up, she sees a bright and huge smile coming from a petite girl with bangs. Her aura exudes positivity and happiness and just unicorns and rainbows. _She’s cute, like really cute._

Jungeun doesn’t know what is happening to her but she suddenly feels shy.

“Hi ma’am, have you already chosen your order?” The cashier girl speaks again, still keeping her cute smile. It pulls Jungeun out of her hazy state. She realizes that she has not responded yet. Good thing she is the only person in line right now. She needs to get her act together before she does something embarrassing.

“Uhm yeah, can I get two chicken sandwiches and two cheesecakes, please” Jungeun can’t help but also smile at the other girl. But she is trying to keep her inner self calm. Cute girls make her feel things.

“Okay, two chicken sandwiches and two cheesecakes. For here or to go?”

“To go, please”

“Alright”

The girl is still smiling while placing her order. Jungeun takes the time to lower her gaze and read the girl’s name tag.

Jiwoo _._ _Cute name._

The cashier girl, named Jiwoo, suddenly speaks, making Jungeun look back up to her smiling face.

“Oh! It’s our happy hour right now, which means all coffee beverages are 30% off their original price and there is also free upsize! Would you like to add some coffee? It’s really good! And the happy hour ends in fifteen minutes, so you’re just right in time”

Jiwoo is talking to Jungeun in such a happy manner, like she’s so excited about their happy hour. Whatever that means. Her tone is cheerful and her smile is so big it makes her eyes turn into a crescent moon shape. She is just extremely adorable. So Jungeun finds it hard to say no to her.

“Sure”

So much for hating coffee.

“Great!” Jiwoo’s smile turns bigger. “What kind of coffee would you like to have?” _Something that will not make me palpitate._

Jungeun does not have any idea what the different types of coffee are because for her, they taste the same. So she settles for a safe answer. “What do you recommend?” 

Jiwoo’s face seems to light up at her question. Jungeun just can’t help but look at her smiling face, it is really a cute sight.

“One of our best sellers here is caramel macchiato! It’s a layered vanilla latte marked with espresso with some caramel on top.”

Jiwoo explains the drink so diligently to Jungeun, who doesn’t really have much knowledge about coffee. So she just keeps nodding her head.

“That sounds good, I’ll get one then” Jungeun gives a small smile. She can’t believe she’s buying coffee again. But she doesn’t have to drink that, she can just give it to Haseul later. That girl loves freebies.

“Okay” Jiwoo smiles and lowers her head to add the coffee to Jungeun’s order.

“May I get your name?” Jiwoo asks.

“It’s Jungeun”

“Thanks” Jiwoo starts writing her name on the cup

Whoever assigned Jiwoo as the cashier is really smart for doing that. Because no one can resist the cuteness of this girl. Not even Jungeun. There is just something so appealing about her. No wonder their shop is full of customers.

“Your total is $12, ma’am”

Jungeun gives her payment to Jiwoo and she’s given the warmest smile in return. She’s now wondering if the girl’s cheeks are starting to hurt from too much smiling.

Jiwoo gives back her change to her, and their hands touch for a millisecond. Not that Jungeun is paying attention to small details or anything. 

_Why is her heart suddenly racing?_

“Thank you.” Jungeun says before moving to the receiving side of the counter. All the smiles she got suddenly made her shy.

Jiwoo turns back around and goes to her coworker, asking them to prepare the sandwiches and cheesecakes while she prepares the coffee.

While waiting, Jungeun inspects the whole area of the coffee shop. It’s really neat and quite big. This might be a new study place for her if she needs to be separated from her bed.

“Excuse me, ma’am” She is back to facing the cashier area when she hears someone calling her name. “Here is your coffee” She sees Jiwoo with her big smile, handling her a large cup of coffee.

“Thanks.” Jungeun smiles while getting her coffee. She has smiled so much in the past couple of minutes than she did in the entire day.

The coffee smells really good, though she can’t help but think of all the palpitations she would experience if she drinks this.

“Your sandwiches will be done in a few minutes” She hears Jiwoo speak while watching her coworkers do their tasks.

“Okay, thank you.”

Jungeun is just holding the coffee on her hands, not even taking a sip. She doesn’t really want to drink coffee in the evening because it ruins her sleeping schedule. And she values sleep so much.

Her head snaps back up at the girl behind the counter when she hears her talking, “That coffee tastes really good, it’s one of my favorites” Jiwoo has this small smile on her lips while talking about the coffee.

Jungeun is about to respond to her when another staff member calls Jiwoo, asking her to go over to the kitchen.

“Excuse me for a minute” Jungeun smiles and nods her head.

When Jiwoo is finally out of sight, Jungeun immediately opens the lid and takes a small sip of her coffee. She thought it would taste bitter, but surprisingly, it’s sweet.

After a small sip, she closes the lid again. It tastes good, Jiwoo is not lying about that, but she is still not a big fan of coffee.

Jiwoo comes back to the cashier area carrying a paper bag.

“Here’s your order” Jiwoo, still with her adorable smile, reaches out to hand over the food.

“Thank you” Jungeun smiles and takes the bag from her.

“You’re welcome” Jiwoo replies

Jungeun is supposed to leave after the interaction, but she feels like she has to say something about the coffee to the girl. She looks proud making it. “Your coffee tastes really good, I like it.” 

Jungeun’s statement makes Jiwoo’s face light up..

“Thank you, I’m glad to hear that.” Jiwoo lets out a chuckle while looking at Jungeun. “I hope you can visit again” Is she flirting or just being friendly to customers like a normal coffee shop worker? Maybe she’s just naturally like that.

She looks at her and gives her a warm smile, “I’ll sure do”

Oh, but Jungeun is definitely flirting.

Jungeun enters her dorm and her loud roommate greets her.

“Finally!! I thought I’m gonna die of hunger”

Haseul takes the paper bag from Jungeun’s hands and sits at their dining table. Jungeun also puts her large coffee cup on the table. She looks at it and smiles, she really just bought a coffee because of a cute cashier. Jungeun thinks that’s silly, but can you blame her?

“Why are you smiling, you creep” Haseul suddenly speaks, taking the incident out of Jungeun’s head. She knows her best friend will tease her to death if she finds out about it.

“Nothing” She takes out her sandwich and starts eating it. Her stomach is rejoicing because she has finally eaten something.

“What is that?” Haseul asks while pointing at her coffee cup.

“It’s coffee”

“Oh? You’re a coffee enthusiast now?” Haseul knows she doesn’t like coffee that much. When they eat together, she usually orders juice or soda.

“No” Jungeun will not admit she bought it because of the cute girl. “I just wanted to try some drinks from the new coffee shop.”

“That’s surprising cause you literally dislike coffee”

“Here” Jungeun pushes the coffee to Haseul. “You can have it. I only had a small sip from it, but it’s still full. And I actually got a large cause I know you love coffee”

“Aw that’s sweet, I might cry” Jungeun rolls her eyes “Thank you, but I’m cutting my caffeine intake right now, so I’ll have to pass”

“What why? You love coffee!” Jungeun whines. She bought this because she’s sure Haseul will drink this. Now she thinks it’s a waste of money.

“I drank so much coffee in the last ten days, so my body needs to take a break from all the caffeine”

“Now what am I going to do with this?”

“Drink it? What else? It would be such a waste of you throw that”

The last time Jungeun drank a cup of coffee until it’s last drop was a few months ago, when she had to stay up late to study because her professor announced that they will have an exam the next day so she had to study everything. She was really running low on sleep and her headache made things worse. 

“I can’t finish this! You know I don’t like coffee” Jungeun whines while Haseul rolls her eyes at her.

“And whose problem is that?” Haseul just continues to devour her sandwich and cheesecake.

“You know what, pay me back and give me $20!”

“As if I would do that”

Jungeun spends the rest of the night with palpitations. 

—

Jungeun goes back to Sweet Life a week after her initial visit. She thought she’s going to be free after her exams, but spent the week finishing their group research since they only have a short time to do that. But now they are done and Jungeun finally has some time to relax.

She goes inside the coffee shop and the smell of coffee and butter greets her. There aren't many people inside compared to the last time she visited. She was planning to have breakfast with Haseul but she had an early class, so now she’s here alone.

“Hi! Welcome to Sweet Life”

A cheerful voice greets Jungeun, just like the last time. And the smile is still present, of course, and it looks extra bright this morning. _Jiwoo looks cuter today._

“Hi” Jungeun returns the smile and walks closer to the counter.

“Good morning, what can I get you today?”

Jungeun looks at the menu booklet for a while. She doesn’t usually eat breakfast because her classes are always early. But now she’s going to savor the moment and eat some good food.

“Can I get a blueberry pancake with bacon and eggs and a banana waffle, please.” Jungeun looks back up and she sees Jiwoo looking at her.

“Of course.” Jiwoo smiles at her, ”Would like you to add some coffee to your order?” Jiwoo asks her. 

She could say no, really. It’s not like the girl is forcing her. But Jungeun kind of wants to see Jiwoo get excited over her freshly made coffee. So she says yes.

“Yeah sure, what can you recommend this time?” Jungeun hope it doesn’t sound _too_ flirty. She’s trying to get better at this.

“Vanilla latte seems like a nice drink to have today. It’s also one of my favorites. I had it earlier so that’s the first thing that came into my mind” Jiwoo let out a laugh while talking about her coffee, and Jungeun thinks her morning just got better.

“I’ll have that then” Jungeun offers the warmest smile she could muster.

Jungeun is enjoying her alone time right now because it's been so long since she went out for breakfast and had a peaceful morning. There’s something about coffee shops that makes her feel relaxed. Must be the aroma.

She takes a peek at the cute girl on the counter from time to time, and she sees her greet the customers with a big smile, which makes them automatically smile in return.

She stares at the coffee in front of her and decides to take a sip. It tastes sweet. Perhaps Jiwoo loves sweet coffee.

Jungeun reaches for her phone and decides to call her friend. Jinsoul finally answers on the seventh ring, “Hello?”

“Jinsoul! Hi good morning!”

“Jungeun? Why do you sound so cheerful?”

“I’m always cheerful! And say good morning back!”

“Well good morning, you brat”

“Where are you right now?” Jungeun asks, she drinks her water and decides to look at the counter area again. Just checking.

Her eyes land on Jiwoo, who is already staring at her, like she’s studying her or something. Jungeun is really thankful that she already swallowed her water, or else she would have spit it out. Jiwoo gives her a wave and a small smile, and she smiles back, of course. Then the arrival of a new customer breaks their short eye contact. Jungeun’s heart is suddenly beating so fast. 

“I just left my dorm and I’m on my way to school” Jungeun can hear the sound of the elevator.

“Okay, I got you a coffee so don’t bother getting one from the vending machine” Jungeun hopes Jinsoul is not cutting her caffeine intake like Haseul or else she would have to drink the coffee again like last time. She doesn’t like throwing food away. 

“Wow you’re kind today, I’m liking it” She can hear Jinsoul laughing on the other line.

“Shut up, I’m always kind. Anyway, I’ll see you at school”

“Alright, thanks. See you!” Jungeun puts her phone back inside her bag and stands up to leave.

Just before she reaches the door, she hears a voice saying, “Thank you! Have a good day!” And she sees Jiwoo giving her a little wave. _Such a cutie._

—

Two days later, Jungeun is back at Sweet Life. But this time, Haseul is with her. They are going shopping today and Haseul decided they should get brunch first in this coffee shop since she loves their food.

Before going inside, Jungeun holds Haseul’s wrist and speaks, “Will you order a coffee?”

Haseul immediately replies, “Yup, I’m getting a mocha latte”

“Great! I’ll order your coffee and you order my orange juice” Before Haseul can reply, Jungeun goes inside the coffee shop. She walks toward the counter area but no one is there.

Haseul finally catches up on her, “What was that all about?”

Her voice must have been too loud, because a girl suddenly pops up behind the counter. Jiwoo fixes her shirt before looking up.

“Good morning!” She greets Haseul, and her eyes land on Jungeun, “Hi.” Her lips curl into a warm smile. This makes Haseul’s eyebrow raise.

“Hi.” Jungeun replies with a shy smile. _Why is she suddenly acting like a shy teenager?_ , Haseul thinks.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, I was looking for the pen I dropped” Jiwoo scratches the back of her neck.

“No, no, it’s fine. We just got here” Jungeun assures her and meets Jiwoo’s eyes.

Haseul clears her throat to break the moment, “Can we order now?”

“Yeah, of course” Jiwoo gives her an awkward smile.

“I’ll have french toast with eggs and sausage and orange juice, please” Jiwoo nods her head and places the order. Haseul then elbows Jungeun to add her order.

“Oh, I’ll have a strawberry waffle and a mocha latte” Jiwoo looks back up at Jungeun and gives a small smile. _Something is up._

“Your total is $17” Jungeun gives her money to Jiwoo, and she starts processing their order.

Jungeun gets closer to Haseul then whispers something in her ear, “Pay me back”.

“So what’s going on between you and the cashier girl?” Haseul shoots Jungeun a question while she’s in the middle of chewing her food.

“Nothing” She drinks her orange juice while trying her best to avoid Haseul’s gaze.

“You’re such a bad liar” Haseul shakes her head, “Should I ask the girl then?” She speaks in a teasing tone.

“You wouldn’t” Jungeun gives her a look.

“Oh? Try me” Haseul is showing off her evil smile. Jungeun knows her too well, and she’s sure that Haseul would definitely approach the other girl if she doesn’t speak now.

“Ugh I hate you sometimes” Jungeun groans.

“I know boo, now start talking” Haseul continues to eat her food.

“Fine” Jungeun takes a quick look on the counter and she sees Jiwoo busy making coffee, “I may or may not have developed a tiny crush on her” She explains in a small voice, and if it wasn’t for Haseul’s sharp hearing, she wouldn’t have heard it.

“I kind of sensed it earlier, the vibe between you two was different” Haseul laughs at her.

“What? We didn’t even do anything”

“Yeah but your actions were telling something. You ordered my coffee to impress her, right? You ain’t slick. And I saw the way she looks at you.” She kind of hates how Haseul can read right through her. “So was she the reason why you bought a large coffee when I asked you to buy me food from here?” Haseul adds.

“Uh, yes” Hearing about it, Jungeun thinks it’s silly.

“How did she even do that”

“She was talking about their happy hour, where all the coffee drinks are discounted and there’s free upsize, and she asked me if I want to avail their promo, and she just looked so cute while talking so I said yes” Jungeun looks at Haseul after explaining the scenario, and she finds her best friend smiling at her.

“Girl, you got it bad”

She knows that.

—

After her relaxing weekend, Jungeun is back to her busy schedule. She spends her days studying, as always, because they are given an exam every single day. She is so exhausted and sleep-deprived and she thinks she’s going to pass out at any moment. She just needs to get through the next two days and then she can have a good night's sleep again.

Jungeun walks toward the exit door of the library. She has been there since eight in the morning and she’s only going out to grab some lunch. While walking, the cute girl that she has been crushing on suddenly crosses her mind. It’s been a while since she has seen her, and they still haven’t had a decent conversation. It’s always “what can I get you?”, and never “can I get your number?” _When will things escalate._

Jungeun reaches the exit and pushes the door, and when she’s finally out, she bumps into the person that’s about to go inside the library, then she sees a book fall.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry” Jungeun immediately picks up the book.

“It’s okay, I should be the one apologizing. I wasn’t looking where I was going” The voice of the person sounds so familiar. Jungeun stands up and looks at the person in front of her.

“Oh! Hi!” Jiwoo speaks up again. Jungeun definitely did not expect to see her here, outside her school library.

“Hi, it’s you.” She looks at her and sees Jiwoo with a small smile. “Here’s your book. I’m sorry again, I should have been more careful.”

“Thank you, and it’s okay, really. No harm done”

Jungeun’s heart is suddenly beating like crazy right now. She’s only thinking of this certain girl a few minutes ago and now she is right here in the flesh. This is crazy, but she’s not complaining.

“By the way, I’m Jiwoo.” She introduces herself. 

“I know” Jungeun replies, but she realizes that it may sound creepy. “The name tag”. She releases a nervous laugh. “I’m Jungeun”

“I know” Jiwoo lets out a giggle. “The coffee”

_She is so much cuter up close._

“So, what program are you in? I don’t think I’ve seen you here before” Jungeun asks. Their school is huge, there are different buildings for different departments so it’s kind of hard to meet other people.

“I study business, what about you?” 

“I study medicine” Jungeun answer.

“Oh that’s amazing! And maybe that’s why we haven’t seen each other before. Our buildings are at the opposite end of the school grounds” This causes Jungeun to laugh. Jiwoo is definitely right.

Jungeun is about to speak again when they hear a loud voice shouting Jiwoo’s name.

“Jiwoo!”

They both turn their heads toward the owner of the voice, and Jungeun sees a girl coming their way. A tall, good-looking, short-haired girl.

The girl is now beside Jiwoo and she swings her arm around her shoulder, “Hey, sorry I’m late. I just got out of class”

“It’s fine, I just got here” Jiwoo gives the girl a reassuring smile. _Who is she?_

“Can we eat lunch first before we study? I’m so hungry and I don’t think my brain can function well right now” The girl speaks in a whiny tone then pouts her lips. This causes Jiwoo to laugh.

“You’re such a kid sometimes, Sooyoung. But fine, let’s eat first”

“I’m not a kid, you are a kid”

Jungeun suddenly feels awkward, it’s like she’s being a third wheel. She glances away and clears her throat.

“Uh, I need to go now.” She speaks, and suddenly feels their eyes on her. “It was nice seeing you Jiwoo.” Jungeun gives a little wave and a smile to Jiwoo, as well as to the girl beside her. She’s polite.

“You too, Jungeun. Take care” Jiwoo returns her smile.

Jungeun walks toward the cafeteria, but her thoughts about food are gone. Now all she could think about is that Sooyoung girl beside Jiwoo.

_Is she her best friend? Or girlfriend? They sure look soft with each other._

The thought of Jiwoo already being in a relationship makes Jungeun’s heart sink.

—

“Haseul!!! What am I going to do!?”

Jungeun screams into Haseul’s pillow. She has been whining for fifteen minutes now since she got home and Haseul is so close to kicking her out of their dorm.

“Are you even sure that’s her girlfriend?” Haseul asks while removing her make up.

“No,” Jungeun suddenly removes the pillow over her face, “But they look so close and soft with each other!” She then starts kicking Haseul’s blanket.

“Maybe that’s just her best friend? Like us, we’re close and soft” Haseul replies. Jungeun gives her a disgusted look, and she throws her moisturizer bottle at her, hitting Jungeun’s head.

“Hey! That hurts!” Jungeun throws it back to her. “But no, there is something different between them”

“You know what, just ask her if that’s really her girlfriend”

“What? No! Why would I do that” Haseul wishes she could hit Jungeun in the head again, just one more time.

“So you could stop assuming things, you dummy!”

“But what if that’s really her girlfriend? I don’t have a match over her. She’s tall and really pretty”

“Yeah, you’re no match over her. You’re like two inches tall” Haseul lets out a loud laugh, she really loves teasing the hell out of Jungeun.

“Shut up I’m taller than you!” Jungeun throws her pillow, hitting Haseul in the face.

“But really, just talk to her and ask her about it, cause she sure looks so into you the last time I saw her”

Jungeun really hopes so.

—

She goes back to Sweet Life a few days later. She has her laptop with her cause she has a paper to finish, and she’s always sleepy when she’s in her dorm so she decides it’s best to study out.

“Good afternoon! What can I get you?” As always, Jiwoo greets her so happily.

“Hi, I’ll have a banana muffin and a mango juice please” Jungeun gives a small smile. She settles for juice because she doesn’t feel like drinking coffee today, and she’s not really in the mood to act flirty. She is still kind of down from all her thoughts.

“Okay” Jiwoo smiles and places her order. Their interaction is short. Jungeun thinks that if Jiwoo is already in a relationship, then she has to stop her lingering gaze and flirty smiles. She doesn’t want to cause any trouble. 

Jungeun spends the next five hours working on her paper. She hasn't even spared a single look at the girl behind the counter, she just drowns herself with schoolwork. When she’s finally done, she closes her eyes and stretches her neck. She’s starting to feel tired and sleepy.

She suddenly hears a sound of a plate being set on her table and this causes her to open her eyes. When she settles her eyes on her table, she sees a pasta and a glass of orange juice in front of her. Jungeun swears she didn’t order anything in the past hours.

When Jungeun looks up, she sees Jiwoo standing awkwardly and giving her an awkward smile.

“Hi” Jiwoo speaks while trying to avoid her gaze.

“Hey” Jungeun looks at her then at the food. “I…didn’t order anything?” She is genuinely confused.

“Yeah, uh, this one’s on me” Jungeun snaps her head back to Jiwoo after hearing that, and she sees her already looking at her while scratching the back of her neck.

“Oh.” There goes Jungeun’s heart beating so fast. “You didn’t have to”

“I noticed that you haven’t eaten anything for dinner, aside from the muffin you had this afternoon. And it’s getting pretty late so I thought you must be tired and hungry from all the studying you did” Jiwoo is fiddling with her hands while talking and Jungeun just wants to tell her how cute she looks right now. She’s trying so hard to stop herself from smiling because she doesn’t want to look like a love-sick thirteen-year-old girl. 

She looks around the coffee shop and notices that there are only a few customers left. Her eyes land on the wall clock of the shop and she sees that it’s already almost ten in the evening. She didn’t even notice the time. She looks at the food again and she suddenly feels hungry.

“I’ll pay you for this” Jungeun says then reaches for her wallet, but before she can grab her money, she feels a hand over hers and this causes her to freeze.

She sees Jiwoo close to her and she has this small smile on her face, not the awkward one. “You don’t have to. It’s my treat”

Jungeun just wants to squeal with delight right now.

“Thank you” She gives a warm smile and tries to maintain eye contact.

“You’re welcome” Jiwoo replies, then retracts her hand.

However, Jungeun’s happy thoughts suddenly come to a stop.

_Why is Jiwoo doing this? Isn’t this considered cheating?_

Now, Jungeun is not an expert in relationships, but she knows what should and should not be done. And treating a girl with food and giving flirty smiles seems like out of line.

Jiwoo is about to leave when Jungeun stops her.

This is it. She’s going to have her heart broken by a girl that doesn’t even have an idea on what she feels. 

“Can I ask you something?” Her heart is beating like crazy right now, but this time, because of nervousness.

“Sure, anything” Jiwoo’s eyes softens and she also has this warm smile, and this only adds to Jungeun’s confusion because how can she look at her like _that_? Like… she has something for her. Or maybe Jungeun is just overthinking everything right now.

“Uh, is Sooyoung your… girlfriend?” There it goes.

Jungeun keeps her eyes on the table, she can’t even face Jiwoo right now, because she is so embarrassed and nervous. Jiwoo might think she’s nosy for asking that. _Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut._

“Oh, Sooyoung?” Upon hearing her speak, Jungeun looks at Jiwoo. She lets out a small laugh before speaking again, “Well, she’s my roommate..”

Jungeun’s brain is suddenly shifting gears.

_Oh my god, she didn’t directly answer it. It’s just a yes or no question._

So, they are roommates AND girlfriends? Good for them, good for them. _Fuck!_

“..and also my cousin”

Wait, pause.

“Your what?” Jungeun stares at her with wide eyes.

“My cousin. Her mom and my mom are sisters”

Oh how badly Jungeun wants to get out of the coffee shop right now and just hide forever. She is so embarrassed for asking that. She feels herself blushing. _You just love embarrassing yourself, don’t you, Jungeun?_

However, she can’t deny that a big part of her is relieved by that information. Her mood is lifted. 

“Oh, really? _What a relief_ ” Jungeun whispers the last sentence before drinking her water.

“We grew up together so we’re really close, maybe that’s why people sometimes get the wrong idea” Jiwoo explains to her. She's definitely one of those people who got the wrong idea.

“Right, you guys sure do have good genes”

Jiwoo laughs at her comment. “Too bad we don’t have the same height” Now, it’s Jungeun's turn to laugh. The vibe between them feels lighter again.

“Anyway, I’ll leave you now so you can start eating your food. You need to regain your energy”

“Thank you for this, Jiwoo. I really appreciate it”

“You’re welcome”

Jungeun gets a warm and soft feeling in her chest.

While in the middle of eating her food, she picks up the tissue paper beside the plate and is about to wipe her lips when she notices something written on it.

A number and a note.

_Do you wanna go out sometimes? :)_

_\- Jiwoo_

Jungeun’s cheeks are starting to hurt from smiling too much.

—

Jungeun is now back in their dorm and she immediately tells Haseul about the happening in the coffee shop. And of course, Haseul shoots her with an “I told you so”. Now, Jungeun has another dilemma.

“Haseul!!!! Should I text her tonight?” She asks while tossing around her bed.

“Depends on you, really” Haseul tries her best to reply even though she’s so close to falling asleep.

“What if she’s already sleeping? She must be tired from her shift”

“Then text her in the morning” Haseul moves her blanket to her neck, she really isn’t getting a good night sleep anytime soon.

“But what if she’s waiting for me to message her? I don’t want her to think that I’m not interested or anything, because I really am”

“Obviously” Haseul rolls her eyes. “Then just text her now, damn, it can’t be that hard”

“What should I say to her? Should I say “Hi” then end it with a period or “Hiii” with a lot of i’s at the end? Does it sound too clingy?”

Lovesick Jungeun is so annoying.

“Just text her like a normal person”

“Should I add emojis or no? Smiley face? Hearts?”

“That’s it!” Haseul suddenly sits up. “Give me your phone. I’ll text her myself so you’ll shut up.”

“No!!!” Jungeun turns around and clutches her phone on her chest. “Okay, okay, damn. I get it. Go to sleep” Jungeun shoos her away.

“Good luck with that” Haseul finally settles back on her bed.

“Yeah, thanks, you grumpy hag”

Jungeun unlocks her phone and decides to type a message.

_To Jiwoo: Hi Jiwoo! This is Jungeun._

She reads it again and again then finally decides to send it. Texting someone shouldn’t be too nerve-racking.

The sound of Jungeun’s phone surprises her. That was fast.

_From Jiwoo: Hi Jungeun :) Did you get home safe?_

_To Jiwoo: Yes, I did. How about you?_

_From Jiwoo: Yup! I just got home._

_To Jiwoo: Oh you should rest then. You had a long shift._

_From Jiwoo: I’m still good, don’t worry. It’s you who should rest, you spent so much time studying._

_To Jiwoo: Yeah, thanks again for the food Jiwoo. It was delicous :)_

_From Jiwoo: You’re welcome, glad you liked it._

Jungeun is about to type something when she receives another message.

_From Jiwoo: By the way, are you free tomorrow?_

Oh my god. Is this really happening?

Jungeun has to suppress her scream because she doesn’t want to wake Haseul up. A grumpy Haseul is a scary Haseul.

She calms herself down before typing a message.

_To Jiwoo: Yes, I am._

_From Jiwoo: Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow?_

Okay, this is really happening.

_To Jiwoo: Yeah sure, that would be nice._

_From Jiwoo: Great! I’ll text you the details in the morning. It’s pretty late now, you should get some rest._

_To Jiwoo: Alright, good night Jiwoo!_

_From Jiwoo: Good night, Jungeun. See you tomorrow!_

Jungeun still can’t believe it. She’s been crushing on Jiwoo for quite some time now and things are _finally_ unfolding as they should.

—

Jungeun meets Jiwoo at the restaurant near the park. She asks why she didn’t choose Sweet Life since it’s more familiar to her, but Jiwoo says it’s her favorite restaurant in town and she wants Jungeun to try their food.

The atmosphere around them feels so light and there’s no hint of awkwardness. They spend their whole time getting to know each other and talking about the most random things they could think of.

“So you’re telling me you kept a slug in your dorm because you didn’t want it to be left alone?” Jungeun can’t stop laughing at the story that Jiwoo is telling her. She’s just so talkative and dorky.

“The slug was lonely! I had to do something” Jiwoo laughs with her.

“You’re such a good samaritan”

“I always do my best to help”

_She’s just the cutest._

They continue sharing stories with each other, and Jiwoo surely has plenty of them. The conversation flows so naturally, and they feel like they have known each other for years. 

They are in the middle of eating dessert when Jiwoo decides to speak up.

“Jungeun, can I, uh, ask you something?” Jiwoo suddenly looks shy and nervous, which is different from her behavior earlier.

“Yeah, sure” Jungeun stops eating for a while and gives her whole attention to Jiwoo.

It takes Jiwoo some time before she starts talking. “Are you- “ She stops to clear her throat. “Are you single?”

If Jungeun was eating something, she surely would have choked on it. That question came out sooner than she expected. But since it has already been asked, might as well go with it.

“I wouldn’t be here with you right now if I’m taken” Jungeun thinks her heart is going to escape from her chest.

Jiwoo releases a breath, and a smile starts to creep up on her face. Jungeun mirrors her smile, and she feels herself blushing.

“You got me there” Jiwoo’s ears starts to get red and Jungeun can’t help be laugh at her cuteness.

She looks up at Jiwoo’s face and sees her staring at her with a warm smile. “Good to know I don’t have to compete with others over you”

Jungeun feels her blood rush to her face, she’s not used to things like this. Jiwoo is such a smooth talker, but two can play a game.

“Well, you’ve already secured your spot”

Jungeun realizes that she loves being around Jiwoo. She makes her mood so much better and her presence is just so comforting. 

She definitely wants to be around her for a long time. 

—

They are currently watching Frozen 2 at Jiwoo’s dorm, upon Jungeun’s request. They are left alone since Sooyoung is still out with her friends. Jiwoo strokes Jungeun’s hair, who’s currently lying on her lap, and stares at her face. A big smile forms on Jiwoo’s face when she sees her girlfriend laughing because of Olaf.

_How did I get so lucky?_

—

_Jiwoo is just scrolling through her phone while sitting at their school garden. She’s waiting for Sooyoung to finish her class because she promised her she would accompany her to the mall. She sends a quick text to her cousin before locking her phone._

_There are a lot of students hanging out around the garden. She turns her head to the right and sees a group of students eating together. The sight is making her hungry. She then turns her head to the left and sees a girl sitting on the bench next to her. The girl has her earphones on and she’s busy reading something from her book. The girl tucks her hair behind her ear then flips her book to the next page._

_She's pretty._

_Jiwoo hears someone shout her name and she immediately tears her gaze away from the girl. She doesn’t want to get caught and be labeled as a creep. She looks for the source of the voice and she sees Sooyoung raising her hand, telling Jiwoo to go to her. Jiwoo stands up, takes a quick glance at the girl (who’s still busy reading), then leaves the garden._

_She hopes she will see her again._

_Jiwoo sees the girl again at the new coffee shop where she’s working part-time. She’s entertaining a customer when she hears the door open, and her eyes land on the girl that has been living on her mind for five days now. It surprises her cause she’s not expecting to see her outside of the school grounds. But she can’t deny the happiness she’s feeling right now._

_It’s finally the girl’s turn to order, and so Jiwoo puts the biggest smile she could muster._

_“Good evening! Welcome to Sweet Life, what can I get you?”_

_Jiwoo thinks her greeting might be too much. Maybe she’s too loud? The girl hasn’t answered her yet after a few seconds._

_“Hi ma’am, have you already chosen your order?” Jiwoo keeps the smile on her face, she feels it getting bigger each passing second. She’s finally seeing the girl up close, and wow, she’s gorgeous._

_“Uh, yeah, can I get two chicken sandwiches and two cheesecakes, please” Even her voice sounds beautiful._

_“Okay, two chicken sandwiches and two cheesecakes. For here or to go?”_

_“To go, please”_

_“Alright”_

_Jiwoo looks down because she can feel her face getting hot. She has been waiting for the moment to see this girl again ever since she saw her at the garden, and now she’s finally here._

_She suddenly remembers something, so she looks back up._

_“Oh! It’s our happy hour right now, which means all coffee beverages are 30% off their original price and there is also free upsize! Would you like to add some coffee? It’s really good! And the happy hour ends in fifteen minutes, so you’re just right in time”_

_The girl looks confused for a moment._

_“Sure”_

_Jiwoo swears she’s the cutest._

_“Great! What kind of coffee would you like to have?” Jiwoo is thankful she’s assigned as the cashier because if not, she would have missed this opportunity._

_“What do you recommend?” The girl’s question thrills her. She loves coffee and she loves recommending different kinds of coffee to people. Her love for coffee is one of the reasons why she chose to work here._

_“One of our best sellers here is caramel macchiato! It’s a layered vanilla latte marked with espresso with some caramel on top.”_

_“That sounds good, I’ll get one then” The smile from the girl is enough to make Jiwoo’s heart race._

_“Okay” Jiwoo adds her coffee to the order. And then a thought hits her._

_She’s finally going to know her name._

_“May I get your name?”_

_“It’s Jungeun”_

_Pretty name for a pretty girl._

—

_After their encounter, Jiwoo finds herself waiting for Jungeun to visit again. She hasn’t seen her in school, so she’s hoping to see her again at the coffee shop. And after a week, she’s finally back._

_“Hi! Welcome to Sweet Life” It’s good to see you again. I’ve been waiting for you. Jiwoo wants to add, but she stops herself. Don’t be too obvious._

_“Hi” Oh my god, she’s so cute._

_“Good morning, what can I get you today?” Jungeun is still choosing her food so Jiwoo just observes her. The morning light that’s hitting Jungeun’s face makes her prettier._

_“Can I get a blueberry pancake with bacon and eggs and a banana waffle, please.”_

_“Of course.” She smiles at her. ”Would like you to add some coffee to your order?” Jiwoo asks because she noticed that Jungeun seemed to like the coffee she ordered last time. So, maybe she wants one now._

_“Yeah sure, what can you recommend this time?”_

_Jiwoo thinks for a while._

_“Vanilla latte seems like a nice drink to have today. It’s also one of my favorites. I had it earlier so that’s the first thing that came into my mind”_

_“I’ll have that then”_

_Jungeun’s smile might be Jiwoo’s new favorite thing in the world._

_The coffee shop isn’t so full in the morning, so Jiwoo doesn’t have many customers to entertain. She looks around the shop and her eyes land on Jungeun, who’s busy talking to someone on the phone. Jiwoo finds herself staring at her_ — _there’s just something about her that draws Jiwoo in._

_Jungeun suddenly looks her way and Jiwoo freezes for a moment. Shit._

_She internally calms herself, and decides to smile and wave her way out of embarrassment._

_That’s enough staring for today._

—

_Jiwoo sees Jungeun again at the coffee shop two days later, but this time she’s with her friend. Jiwoo can’t help but feel shy and nervous with the way Jungeun's friend is looking at her, like she knows something._

—

_Clumsiness has always been one of Jiwoo’s characteristics._

_She’s about to go inside the library when the door suddenly opens, making her bump into the person going out._

_“Oh my god I’m so sorry”_ _The girl speaks and immediately picks up Jiwoo’s book before she does._

_“It’s okay, I should be the one apologizing. I wasn’t looking where I was going” She should have been more careful._

_Jiwoo faces the girl, and it surprises her to see Jungeun._

_“Oh! Hi!” Her excitement jumps out._

_Jiwoo learns that Jungeun studies medicine (which makes her look ten times cooler in Jiwoo’s eyes). And it must be one of the reasons why she rarely sees her at school, their buildings are way too far from each other._

_This is the first time they’re casually talking with each other, and Jiwoo’s heart is far from being calm._

_A loud voice interrupts their conversation and they both turn their heads to the owner of the voice. Jiwoo sees Sooyoung walking towards them._

_Sooyoung gets closer and swings her arm around her shoulder. “Hey, sorry I’m late. I just got out of class”_

_Jiwoo takes a quick glance at Jungeun and she sees her looking at Sooyoung, like she’s observing the situation. “It’s fine, I just got here” Jiwoo smiles at her cousin, and her eyes are also sending a message. Sooyoung knows that she’s crushing on someone, and she hopes she won’t embarrass her._

_“Can we eat lunch first before we study? I’m so hungry and I don’t think my brain can function well right now” Sooyoung speaks in a whiny voice, and Jiwoo finds it ridiculous because she rarely does that._

_“You’re such a kid sometimes, Sooyoung. But fine, let’s eat first”_

_“I’m not a kid, you are a kid”_

_Their interaction is cut short when they hear Jungeun talk._

_“Uh, I need to go now. It was nice seeing you Jiwoo” Jungeun smiles at her and Sooyoung too._

_“You too, Jungeun. Take care” Jiwoo smiles and watches her leave._

_“So that’s the girl you’ve been crushing on?” Sooyoung asks while giving her a teasing smile._

_“Shut up. The whiny voice you made was ridiculous”_

_Sooyoung laughs then pats her head as if she’s a kid. “Oh, but it made her jealous”_

_Jiwoo shakes her head. “You’re crazy”_

_“You’re gonna thank me someday”_

—

_Jiwoo sees Jungeun again at the coffee shop one afternoon, and she thinks something is off with her. She barely knows her, but she feels like there’s something bothering the other girl._

_She looks at Jungeun’s table from time to time and she sees her still doing something on her laptop. It’s been five hours and the girl hasn’t eaten anything for dinner. She must be tired and hungry. So Jiwoo prepares her food. And she decides it’s time to step up her game, so she writes her number on the tissue paper_ — _hoping it will not end up in the trash._

_Being close to Jungeun never fails to make Jiwoo’s heart race. But being able to hold Jungeun’s hand makes her feel like she’s going to have a heart attack._

_She stops Jungeun from getting her money. “You don’t have to, it’s my treat”_

_“Thank you” Seeing Jungeun’s smile just makes her melt._

_“You’re welcome”_

_She is about to leave when Jungeun suddenly speaks._

_“Wait” She looks at her and sees her fiddling with her hands. “Can I ask you something?”_

_“Sure, anything” Jiwoo is more than willing to answer her questions._

_“Uh, is Sooyoung your… girlfriend?”_

_The question catches her off guard. And suddenly, Sooyoung’s words pop up in her mind, “it made her jealous”._

_Oh.._

_OH._

_Jiwoo wants to laugh so hard right now, she can’t believe she really has to thank Sooyoung for that. But Jungeun looks nervous, and she doesn’t want to upset her so tries her best to be serious._

_“Oh, Sooyoung?” Jiwoo fails to suppress her laugh. “Well, she’s my roommate..”_

_This is so hilarious._

_“..and also my cousin”_

_Jiwoo sees the way Jungeun’s eyes widens._

_“Your what?”_

_“My cousin. Her mom and my mom are sisters”_

_If Jiwoo could squish Jungeun’s cheeks right now, she would do it. Her flushed cheeks make her look more adorable, and the sight warms Jiwoo’s heart so much._

_She's falling so hard for her._

— 

Jiwoo stops stroking Jungeun’s hair, she tucks them behind her ear and moves her hand to her girlfriend’s cheek.

“Jungie”

“Hmm?” Jungeun answers, her eyes are still glued on the laptop.

“Remember when you pretended to like coffee just so you could see me?” Jiwoo never misses the chance to tease her.

Her question gets Jungeun’s attention. She moves her head on her lap and they are now facing each other.

“Shut up. I really shouldn’t have told you about that” Jungeun lightly pushes her shoulder and she laughs. She catches her hand and holds it. “You were crushing on me first though, I’m not gonna forget that. You’re always waiting for me.” Jungeun sticks her tongue out.

“I admit that”

“I’m too pretty, right?” Jungeun bats her eyelashes and shows a cute smile. Jiwoo laughs at her playfulness. 

_You’re the most beautiful person I have ever seen and I just want to scream out of happiness right now because I still can’t believe you’re mine, even though we’ve been dating for a year now._

“Yeah pretty... pretty crazy” 

Jiwoo then squishes the hell out of Jungeun’s cheeks.

**Author's Note:**

> did someone say chuulip soulmates?


End file.
